Biological organisms swimming at low Reynolds number are often influenced by
the presence of rigid boundaries and soft interfaces. In this paper we present
an analysis of locomotion near a free surface with surface tension. Using a
simplified two-dimensional singularity model, and combining a complex variable
approach with conformal mapping techniques, we demonstrate that the deformation
of a free surface can be harnessed to produce steady locomotion parallel to the
interface. The crucial physical ingredient lies in the nonlinear hydrodynamic
coupling between the disturbance flow created by the swimmer and the free
boundary problem at the fluid surface
